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The Better Bilstein Ebay Coilover Thread

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Old 01-26-2019, 04:54 PM
  #1761  
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just a poly spring isolator,nothing else.
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Old 01-27-2019, 03:51 PM
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People struggling to get low after doing these setups and it being your first time low. You are loosening all the bolts that go through rubber bushings (all inner LCA bolts, rear upper outer, all shock bottom mounts) and retorquing them in the ground right?
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Old 01-27-2019, 04:04 PM
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Yes. I have hubstands. Everything was loosened and toques again on the hubstands. I’m using koni yellows. I do have the Supermiata 2.25” Aluminum spring adapter which is about 1/4” thick. NO poly isolator though so it’s only marginally thicker than a normal setup. Maybe the koni setup doesn’t go as low as the MSM Bilsteins.
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Old 01-27-2019, 04:26 PM
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Koni Sport or Race and how old? I was under the impression that the koni sports were too long to be used for lowering use but at some point a few years ago they got their heat out their *** and make the sport and race use the same body.
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Old 01-27-2019, 04:26 PM
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Uh, I haven't torqued any of my bolts with the wheels on the ground, don't have hub stands but I will try to use extensions to torque everything with the car on the ground. Have been getting weird rubber noises after loosening and re-tightening the front upper control arm long bolt, so hopefully this fixes it.
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Old 01-27-2019, 04:45 PM
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3 or 4 years old. They are the sport shocks with the koni sleeve kit. I believe these are the revised ones because I bought them from FM with FM lowering springs and the car was indeed lower like that.
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Old 01-27-2019, 05:29 PM
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Originally Posted by HowPrayGame
Uh, I haven't torqued any of my bolts with the wheels on the ground, don't have hub stands but I will try to use extensions to torque everything with the car on the ground. Have been getting weird rubber noises after loosening and re-tightening the front upper control arm long bolt, so hopefully this fixes it.
I generally put my jack under a knuckle (without wheels on) and raise it until the car just lifts off the jack stand then tighten + torque it at that point. Lower it back onto the jack stand and do the other 4 points.
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Old 01-27-2019, 06:39 PM
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OK, I will do that tomorrow. Made these photos to use for reference cause I was bored.



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Old 01-27-2019, 11:06 PM
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Another thing to look at for those that can't get low enough is the sleeves. The allstar ones fit over the c-clip and have another inch/2 of adjustment than a sleeve that sits on the clip.

I put about 2k miles on my setup this summer, rides a lot nicer than it did with MSM springs on it. The only thing I would do different is getting the 2in garagestar/etc rear tophats. The goodwin ones clunk when the shock bottoms out over potholes/etc.
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Old 01-27-2019, 11:11 PM
  #1770  
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All of my suspension has poly bushings so I dont think that has anything to do with my issues, i think mine is derived from the sleeves themselves, it seems not all are created equally.
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Old 01-28-2019, 12:31 AM
  #1771  
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Originally Posted by whitrzac
Another thing to look at for those that can't get low enough is the sleeves. The allstar ones fit over the c-clip and have another inch/2 of adjustment than a sleeve that sits on the clip.

I put about 2k miles on my setup this summer, rides a lot nicer than it did with MSM springs on it. The only thing I would do different is getting the 2in garagestar/etc rear tophats. The goodwin ones clunk when the shock bottoms out over potholes/etc.
Are you sure?
I've had them on my setup and never had any clunks. Maybe need to torque some bolts?
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Old 01-28-2019, 07:54 AM
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There's nothing about the Goodwin/FEAL top hat design that would make it more prone to clunking than other offerings.
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Old 01-28-2019, 10:49 AM
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From what I can tell, when the shock bottoms out and hits the bumpstop and the rubber bits in the tophat flex allowing the washer to hit the tophat.
I might take everything apart this summer to confirm, but its just slightly annoying and only when hitting larger bumps/potholes.
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Old 01-28-2019, 10:51 AM
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What's the diameter of the washer? That sounds wild.
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Old 01-28-2019, 11:05 AM
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The ones that were included with the tophats.
It might be hitting, it might be something else entirely. I know I checked the usual suspects without disassembling the car, didn't find anything and decided to deal with it.

Ether way, they bottom out on large bumps, I would still go with a 2in tophat if I was doing it again. I'm running 450/300 at ~12.5in wheel center to fender ride height.
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Old 01-28-2019, 11:32 AM
  #1776  
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Let's try to preload module spring more. I would recommend to do bigger step just to know if problem disappears.
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Old 01-28-2019, 11:36 AM
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Originally Posted by whitrzac
The ones that were included with the tophats.
It might be hitting, it might be something else entirely. I know I checked the usual suspects without disassembling the car, didn't find anything and decided to deal with it.

Ether way, they bottom out on large bumps, I would still go with a 2in tophat if I was doing it again. I'm running 450/300 at ~12.5in wheel center to fender ride height.
I don't know how big those are.

When you say "bottoming out" do you mean the shock is actually running out of travel? Or you're just engaging your bumpstops?

I don't currently use those tophats but i've seen a few setups using them. I have shorter hats than that in the front of my car, and i had to cut my bumpstops to prevent my tire from limiting travel.
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Old 01-28-2019, 12:41 PM
  #1778  
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This is on the rear of my 03, the front still uses the stock tophats and hasn't had any issues.
It's bottoming out on the bumpstops. Currently running 46mm(iirc) bumpstops on the back.
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Old 01-28-2019, 12:44 PM
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Well if you're engaging the bumpstops first, sounds like the hats were long enough.
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Old 01-28-2019, 12:57 PM
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Which is why we're having this conversation... The bumpstops hit, then the washer hits the tophat and clunks. The stock design doesn't have that issue, and if it didn't bottom out, it wouldn't ether.
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